1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle-mounted or onboard display system wherein a display such as a TV monitor is moved into and out of a fixed case mounted on an automobile console panel, for example, and the display is brought into a raised posture outside of the fixed case.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional vehicle-mounted display system is shown in FIG. 15 in an exploded perspective view.
The vehicle-mounted display 1 shown in FIG. 15 comprises a case 2 fixed to an automobile console panel or the like, a pair of guide members (rails) 3 which are partly fixed to vertical inner wall surfaces of the case 2 on both sides thereof, a TV monitor 4 supported on the guide members 3 by a support member 9 and being movable in the directions of arrows A1 or A2 in a horizontal posture, and a lid opening/closing mechanism 12 driven in response to the movement of the TV monitor 4 in the direction A1 or A2. The lid opening/closing mechanism 12 comprises a movable member 5 arranged on an inner bottom surface 2a of the case 2, to be movable in response to the movement of the TV monitor 4 in the direction A2, a lid member 6 rotatably attached to an end of the movable member 5 through a pair of hinges 5a, 5a, a coupling member 7 fixed to a rear surface of the lid member 6, and an opening/closing member 8 attached at its one end to the coupling member 7.
A tension spring 10 has one end locked to one side 5b of the movable member 5, and the other end locked to one vertical inner wall surface of the case 2. The movable member 5 is thereby always urged by the tension spring 10 in the direction A1. Further, a tension spring 11 is stretched between the opening/closing member 8 and the movable member 5, so that the lid member 6 is also always urged in the direction A1.
With the lid opening/closing mechanism 12 thus constructed, when the TV monitor 4 is moved in the direction A2 to be stored in the case 2 in a horizontal posture, a part of the support member 9 strikes against a rear lug 8a of the opening/closing member 8, whereby the opening/closing member 8 is withdrawn in the direction A2 as the TV monitor 4 is further moved into the case 2. Simultaneously, the movable member 5 is also moved in the direction A2 so that the lid member 6 is closed.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the vehicle-mounted display 1 in an automobile console panel.
When using the TV monitor 4 as illustrated, the TV monitor 4 is first moved to project in the direction of A1 while being guided by the guide rails 3 with its posture held horizontally as indicated by (B). Then, after the TV monitor 4 comes into a position where it projects predetermined distance forward of the console panel 13 as shown, the TV monitor 4 is rotated by a motor, which is provided on the support member 9 supporting the TV monitor 4, through an angle suitable to provide a raised posture indicated by (A). Conversely, when storing the TV monitor 4, the TV monitor 4 is first rotated from the raised posture indicated by (A) to the horizontal posture indicated by (B), and then retracted in the direction A2 to be stored in the case 2. At the same time, the lid member 6 is closed as mentioned above.
In front of the console panel 13, in which the vehicle-loaded display 1 is mounted, toward the lower left side on FIG. 16, there is disposed the conventional automobile gear shift lever 14. Thus, the vehicle-mounted display 1 including the TV monitor 4 is mounted in many cases at a location facing vehicular equipment such as the shift lever 14.
Meanwhile, the TV monitor 4 is brought into the raised posture by being rotated about a shaft 9a provided on the support member 9 after it has been completely projected out of the console panel 13. In order to raise the TV monitor 4 outside the fixed case 2, therefore, the support member 9 must be moved to a position where the shaft 9a projects entirely out of the case 2. In other words, the TV monitor 4 must continue advancing while taking a horizontal posture, until the shaft 9a completely projects from the case 2. However, since the shift lever 14 or the like is arranged in front of the TV monitor 4, there is a problem that when the TV monitor 4 advances in the horizontal posture indicated by (B), it may strike against or interfere with operation of the shift lever 14.
Further, the conventional vehicle-mounted display 1 is driven as follows. The TV monitor 4 in the horizontal posture is first driven in the direction A1 by a drive mechanism provided in the case 2. Then, after the TV monitor 4 has been driven to a position where the shaft 9a projects completely from the case 2, it is rotated into the raised posture by a second drive mechanism which is provided in the support member 9, and which has a drive source different from that of the above-described drive mechanism. Therefore, the support member 9 must advance through a long distance until the shaft 9a moves to project from the interior of the case 2, meaning that driving force for moving the support member 9 in direction A1 must be continuously applied through a long distance. Accordingly, the drive mechanism provided in the case 2 requires a long drive arm for transmitting the drive force, resulting in a complicated structure.
Moreover, in the conventional drive method, the drive mechanism for moving the shaft 9a completely out of the case 2 is separate from the drive mechanism for rotating the TV monitor 4 after the shaft 9a has moved out of the case 2, these drive mechanisms employing different drive sources such as motors. Accordingly, disadvantageously the structure is complicated, the load required to move the support member 9 having mounted thereon the second drive mechanism to rotate the TV monitor 4 is increased, and control is complicated.